What is ecological succession?

Ecological succession is fundamentally about the gradual process through which ecosystems evolve and transform over time, especially after disturbances such as fires, floods, or human activities. It involves a series of stages where different communities of plants and animals establish themselves in a given area, leading to changes in the structure and composition of the ecosystem.

This process can be seen in two main types: primary succession, which occurs in a lifeless area where soil has not yet formed, and secondary succession, which takes place in areas where an ecosystem has been disturbed but soil and some organisms still exist. Each successive community alters the environment, often making it more hospitable for subsequent species and eventually leading to a stable climax community.

Understanding this concept is crucial in ecology as it highlights the resilience of ecosystems and their ability to recover from disturbances, emphasizing the dynamic nature of living systems rather than viewing them as static entities. The other options do not accurately capture this definition: extinction focuses on the loss of species rather than the development of ecosystems, migration pertains to movement of species rather than ecological change, and classification pertains to categorizing ecosystems rather than describing their transformative processes.